The Dragon and the Swan
by DaesGatling
Summary: After getting out of prison, Emma meets Lily in a diner out in the middle of nowhere and strikes up a relationship with her. Lily chose not to believe the man on the bus about her past and instead wants to try to make up her actions to her girlfriend. How will things change when Henry comes to find them? Rated M, just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Lily and Emma had met twice in childhood. Once Emma had been an unloved orphan. She had run away from yet another foster home. Her foster mother hadn't been a mother, she'd been more of a collector. she kept the kids piled in bunks in two rooms. All the boys both bigger and meaner than her. So, Emma took off, she figured that life on the streets was just as 'safe' as the home. Same chances of eating and she was just as safe from the boys as she was from homeless people. Maybe she was more safe out there. At least that had been the thought when she ran off. She just didn't realize how dangerous and hard it was out there. The other kids stole all the time but they were bigger and faster than her.

…and they never really taught her how hard stealing could be.

That's how she met Lily. And Lily had lied to her after days spent together. She lied to her and said she was an orpha. Maybe in the most technical sense of the term, she was, but she had a family that had loved her and looked for her.

Emma literally dreamed about that, so she refused to have anything to do with her. She was throwing away opportunities that Emma never had.

Then when they met again, Emma HAD that opportunity until Lily ruined it. One stolen envelope and then the wrong words out of her adopted father's mouth made Emma run off again. Maybe she had been rash but she was determined to hurt them before she'd been hurt. But as far as she was concerned, Lily had ruined that chance too. IF not for her, Emma would've never had to remember the fact they didn't see her as part of the family.

But there was something that she felt drawn to, she didn't understand it. It wasn't like a light, not like she thought she had with Neal. But more a pull, like she felt something missing in her gut when Lily had been close by.

It didn't matter though; Emma had left her behind twice. She didn't think about her again.

Until a day about a year after getting released from the prison, she stopped in a diner to try and beg for something to eat. She hadn't eaten in 3 days; her food ran out and the money had been spent on gas. There had been a job opportunity and then it fell through and Emma wasn't sure now what to do.

Then she went in the diner and saw her. she was older, and more tired, but Emma knew those brown eyes. She remembered them quite well actually. From the look the diner waitress gave her, Emma knew she recognized her too.

Lily was quiet when Emma came in and slid into the barstool. She dumped her bag on the floor beside her with a thud.

"Hi Emma," Lily greeted quietly.

"Lily," Emma said slightly more clipped. Could she still be mad at her? Could she really? They'd been kids when it all happened.

But maybe if she hadn't ruined Emma's chance, then she might've not run away, she could've kept her family.

She might not have ended up a prison teen mom.

"You look like hell," Lily told her.

"You always look like hell."

Lily stopped and smirked, "I'm surprised you came in."

"I almost didn't," And Emma hesitated, almost hating to look weak, "I haven't eaten in a while, Lily. Can I have some food? I mean, I can work for it…"

"Sure," Lily started and hesitated, "you don't have to work for it, I have money."

"I can't ask that."

"No, I noticed you were driving a car. You can pay me by giving me a ride home. It's a creepy walk to the bus at night….and it looks like it might rain"

Emma hesitated, "That might not be so bad. Okay."

"Grilled cheese and onion rings, right?"

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Lily didn't believe the man on the bus that night when he came to her and told her about her past. Well, that night she had. But she grew up, she talked herself out of it. She wasn't the daughter stolen by a Snow White and Prince Charming, what kind of nonsense was that?

A child's fantasy. Everyone wanted to be a princess. Everyone wanted parents that loved them.

It never happened.

Emma ate, and slept in a booth until it was time for Lily's shift to end. Lily watched her from time to time, her boss didn't like it but as long as Emma wasn't causing trouble, she ultimately didn't care.

Lily wasn't sure if fate existed or not, but there was something that drew her to Emma. She had hurt her, twice. Here she was back here again. She knew that and she could never make up for it. But she could at least try.

Emma took her home without a word, Lily stared at the empty apartment as it started to sprinkle, "Would you like to come in?"

"Not really?"

"Where else do you have to go?"

Emma looked at her, "We're not friends, LIly."

"I don't expect us to be," LIly muttered, "I'm just…..I don't know."

"What?" Emma asked in exasperation.

"I'm trying to make up for what I did to you," Lily finally admitted, "You can get some sleep, move on in the morning."

"And how do I know I won't wake up to find you've stolen my car?"

"Yellow's not my color," Lily told her and opened the door.

"You have a couch?" Emma asked.

"No, it'd be a pain in the ass to get up the stairs, you're going to have to sleep in the bed with me."

Lily thought Emma was so pissed at her that that would be the dealbreaker. She expected to hear the car start up and Emma would drive away. But then she heard the car door close and Emma wasn't far behind.

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The tension could be cut with a knife. Lily lay in bed with just a T-shirt and short shorts, Emma lay in bed with a tank top and threadbare pajama bottoms that had been Lily's. She didn't have pajama pants; the old ones had been discarded when they got holes in them.

So, they lay in bed, side by side, completely tense, listening for the rain hit the window outside.

"What happened to you after we parted ways?" Emma asked.

"Lived on the streets until Pearl saw me in the diner and got me a job so I could be fed," Lily looked at her, "Not an easy life."

"No."

"I went back to my old house once," she confessed and shifted to make herself more comfortable, "but they were gone. They moved out. I don't know if they moved out because they wanted to make sure I couldn't follow or what. But mother dearest talked about moving for years, I guess they finally got their motivation when they kicked me out."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

A few more moments of silence passed, "I have a son that I gave up for adoption."

Lily looked over, "What?"

"I was in prison," Emma spat bitterly, Lily could hear the anger and grief in her voice, "My son was probably about a couple days old when I got possession of stolen watches that my baby daddy stole first. They caught me with one. Eleven months in minimum security. Enough to give away my son like I'd been given away."

Lily felt her heart drop. Emma would've had no choice. She had no home, no family, no job, no prospects…what could she prove to show she was a fit mother? Her son would drift around the foster system until she could prove it and that was impossible unless someone took mercy.

"I couldn't even look at him when he was born," Emma whispered, her voice thick with grief, "I couldn't fail him. If I looked at him, I'd want to keep him and then where would we all be? I don't know how to be am other, I never had an example. I don't know what stability is. I'd just hurt him, so I gave him away like I'd been abandoned."

Lily rolled on her stomach and watched Emma start to break down. Quietly she reached out to caress her face, "Emma, you gave your son his best chance, you know that."

"Do I? Is that program his best chance?"

"Maybe," she stroked Emma's hair back, "And that…knowing when to do what's best for your son? That's a mother. And that's more than what either one of us got."

That seemed to calm Emma down slightly. She stared at the celling, "I don't feel anything. I push it all back and I keep pushing it and pushing it until I don't feel it anymore. It's easier that way and now I can't find my way back."

Lily watched her, "I thought I did the same…but….when I saw you again, Emma. I felt a twinge in my stomach. I'm not an expert but it could be construed as emotion."

Emma lay there quietly, "I felt it too."

Lily crept up a bit, she didn't want to be left alone, she wanted….she wanted a connection, even if it was just for the night. Because she knew what it was to be abandoned by people you were supposed to trust. She knew what it was to be alone. She knew how it felt to search for some kind of love only to have it backfire over and over again.

Emma tensed, "Lily…"

"It's okay," Lily fidgeted and suddenly felt stupid. She went to kiss Emma, expecting Emma to shove her away. that would be that.

Emma tensed, but relaxed. She returned the kiss. Lily drew closer, something spread in her belly as she lay there making out with Emma. It was something she hadn't felt in awhile, like something felt complete. She hadn't felt that since before she met Emma, she'd been alone for a long long time.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you," Emma pulled Lily's shirt off. Lily returned the favor and wrestled Emma out of her own pants and Emma's underwear.

"Fine," she smirked and kissed her again, "It'll add some spice to your flavor."

"That's the dumbest pick up line, I've ever heard," Emma told her and looped her legs over Lily's shoulders.

"Somehow I doubt that's true," Lily snarked, interlinked her fingers with Emma's and went to make love to her…sort of friend. She heard Emma mutter 'just for tonight'.

But when Emma went over the edge, she doubted that was true either.

"Shit," Emma muttered when Lily eased her down.

"Hmm," Lily rested her chin on Emma's belly and watched her, "Again?"

Emma lifted up her head and smirked, "Hell yeah"

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By the time they had both indulged each other, it was so early in the morning that both were tired….but at the same time they were wide awake and not very eager to leave the embrace yet. Emma sat up with her back against the footboard, Lily straddled her lap and gripped the footboard. They had spent what seemed like an enternity staring in the other's eyes, unsure of what to say.

"How did you know how to do that?" Emma asked, "The streets?"

"Nah, I watched porn."

Emma blinked, "Oh."

They measured up the other for a few more moments before LIly spoke up again, "You could always stay a few more days. Get rested up and get back on the road."

"You should know better than to offer that to someone, everyone knows you offer that to a friend, you'll never get rid of them."

"Fine, you can stay," Lily shrugged, "We could use some help at the diner."

Emma blinked at the charity, "Why are you doing this? The sex was fun, but…"

Lily brushed a knuckle down Emma's face, "Because I feel drawn to you. I have since I met you. I can't explain it, I don't even believe in fate, but I think there's something about you…"

Emma gripped her hand and kissed it, "I feel drawn to you too."

"Well then," Lily pressed closer and kissed her, "At least we feel something after all."


	2. Chapter 2

When Emma woke up the next morning, she didn't know where she was at. And that wasn't exactly a big shock, she was always on the move so she never really knew where she'd end up. One day she'd be driving and then hey, she had no clue she was in Indiana. Time to find the tourist traps!

It was when she was in a bed that she didn't know the location of that she started to get a little worried. Emma knew people that had died because they landed in bed with the wrong person. Either that or they just wandered off and were never seen again.

Emma was part of enough statistics, she didn't want to be part of that statistic too.

But everything slowly came back to her. She had met Lily, they'd come home together…and she'd told her what she'd done to her son and then Lily went down on her.

And she couldn't be sure but she really sort of liked it. Men had done that, but she'd never really liked it with THEM. With Lily though it was different.

She lay there on her back, staring up at the ceiling until the alarm went off. She shut her eyes quickly while Lily groaned and hit snooze. She hit snooze twice more before she finally rolled out of the bed, "I know you're awake, you're not snoring."

"I don't snore," Emma snapped.

"I slept next to you last night and you were a locomotive. You put most men to shame."

Emma huffed and stared at the ceiling. How did they talk about last night? She didn't want to bring it up, she didn't want it to get shot down as a one-time thing. It WAS a one-time thing, she didn't want any confusion about that. However, there was that awkwardness there that someone had to go through to let someone else down. Emma was way too tired to get disappointed again.

"Considering last night, you put most men I've been with to shame too."

Lily stopped and laughed, "Wow. _Nice opening."_

"Pretty sure you thought that too."

"Oh, I think I've seen better,"

"Just how many women have you seduced in this bed?"

"I watch a lot of porn," Lily plopped down next to Emma, "You want to talk about feelings or what, please say no"

"Not really."

"Good. One time thing? More time thing?"

"I do-," the question caught her off guard, "I don't know."

Lily smirked and playfully kissed her cheek, "Relax. You're so uptight, you always were."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Are we really goanna get into THAT fight?"

"Nope," Lily dropped her clothes and grabbed some things from her dresser drawer, "Get some more rest. I have to shower and so do you."

"What for?"

"You shack up with me, you're gonna work. Like I said, we're short staffed."

"You realize I've never worked a job in my life."

"Well, we all gotta start somewhere."

"I have a record."

"Like Jim cares. You're a pretty face and while he might not go for that if you get what I mean, other guys like it. And they're the ones that pay. So, let's go."

"I better get good tips."

"Depends on how natural your smile is."

Emma tried to demonstrate.

"Yeah, you'll have to work on that," Lily muttered.

Emma scowled at her


	3. Chapter 3

They settled into a sort of domestic situation if it could be called that. Lily and Emma did everything together. They worked, they walked around the small town just off the freeway where everyone knew everyone. And then when bedtime came…

…well not a lot of sleeping was done.

Emma didn't think about the label. She didn't care. Lily was fun, she always was. She was just very irresponsible and inconsiderate. But Emma was too into trying to escape her own pain to care. As Long as Lily stuck around and paid the bills with her, she could be as irresponsible and inconsiderate as she liked.

Then the morning came when Emma opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Her son would be two years old today.

And the tears came. The crushing guilt in her chest that suffocated her as she realized that beyond a shadow of a doubt, she'd given her son over to the same system that had failed her over and over again because she was scared.

Lily woke up and heard her crying. Lily knew what today was. They'd been together for this long, she'd told her some time ago.

Not that they were girlfriends or anything. Emma would eventually leave.

Just not while the sex was still good and the bed was still warm.

"Hey," Lily rolled over and kissed her jaw, "It's okay."

"I'm a bad mother."

"You gave him his best chance."

"Did I? Cause I think I gave me mine."

Lily interlocked her legs with Emma's and stroked her hair, "Wanna take off today? I can cover you."

Emma considered it and then shook her head, "No."

"You sure?"

"It's better I don't stay at home feeling sorry for myself," Emma started to get up.

Lily stroked her back. Lily had never known how to handle the subject of Emma's son. Sos he was just quietly supportive. Anything else, and she worried Emma might head into a breakdown or a heated argument. What would Lily know about jail or a teen pregnancy or never being loved? She could imagine the argument, she didn't want a part of it.

"I"m going to shower, you going to join me?" Emma asked.

"I'd rather have the bed for a few more minutes than a shower," Lily told her and collapsed back against the pillows.

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The restaurant was surprisingly busy when Emma and Lily opened for the morning, there was a group of men that waltzed right in and took a table in the corner. Emma knew something was off the minute she saw they were all dressed in suits, which was a far cry from the truckers that usually came in smelling of body odor and urine.

Lily noticed too, and just to pass the time; she, Emma, and Barry the cook all watched from the little kitchen window as they all talked.

"They look like lawyers," Lily said.

"Not skeevy enough," Barry said, "And I don't smell overpriced cologne."

Barry's nose could probably detect someone 20 miles away, and Emma knew he had a lot of run ins with lawyers, so that was pretty telling. The only reason he still had a job in this place was because this was the sort of place that would hire someone like Barry.

He nudged Emma, "Go see if you can hear what they're saying."

Emma sighed, reminded herself that this was her job and went out to refill their drinks, "Everything okay?"

They'd stopped talking when she came close.

"Yes," One answered quickly. Emma only saw the brief glimpse of a folder as they closed it quickly but she recognized the face, "Why do you have a photo of Mark?"

Mark was a trucker that came through a lot. Emma never liked the way he looked at Lily. Even Barry didn't like him and insisted on taking the girls home for the night after Emma said she thought they'd been followed once.

"You know him?"

"Yeah," Emma started but wondered how much she should say, "Are you cops?"

She tensed at the night, remembering how prison was.

"No, I'm a bail bondsmen and these are my bounty hunters, but do you know this man?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's obvious when I asked why you had his picture."

"Do you know where he is?"

Emma didn't, "No, but I know when he comes in."

The man leaned forward, "How would you like to make some money?"

And Emma was hooked.


	4. Chapter 4

"I can't believe you're getting involved in this!" Lily said with the heels of her hands over her eyes.

"Shut up!" Emma told her, "The bail bondsman guy and the bounty hunters are paying me for my information. HE's a bad man, he's done bad things if they have that many guys looking for him."

"What happened to honor among criminals or whatever?"

"No such thing, they'll snitch you out in a heartbeat," Emma threw her pillow at Lily and crawled into the bed with her, "What's wrong with you?"

"I want you safe," Lily rolled over towards her and rubbed her hip, "Mark is creepy, we already all know this."

"It sounds a lot like you care."

"I DO care."

"Girlfriend caring," Emma teased.

"Caring about someone getting involved with bounty hunters and creepy creepy perverts doesn't have to be girlfriend caring, we're not girlfriends," Lily smacked her with a pillow.

"Good. Girlfriend caring means commitment," Emma told her and lifted her shirt slightly.

"Would that be so bad?"

Emma remembered Neal, "Yeah. It'd ruin what we have."

"We DO do really girlfriendy stuff," Lily pointed out.

"Doesn't mean we're girlfriends," Emma gently kissed her stomach and then right over her panties.

"Stooop," Lily whined, "You're making me wet and I'm trying to be worried about you."

"Well you worrying makes ME wet."

"Is that the best you can come up with?" Lily pulled off her panties.

"I do other things better under pressure," Emma kissed her not!girlfriend in one of her favorite places to kiss her.

"You are better than any boyfriend I've had," Lily told her and arched her back when she felt Emma's tongue roll right over that sensitive little spot she loved so much.

"Thank you," Emma muttered.

"No, shut up, keep going," Lily told her.

Could be the last time after all.

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Emma's job was to call them when Mark came through. Emma knew approximately what times of the month he went through the restaurant but nothing specific. They hadn't looked very happy about that but what could Emma say when her menial jobs went every day blended together.

But then he came back through. He sat at Emma's table, like he usually did. Emma looked at Lily who nodded and went to dial the number.

"Hi Emma," he said in that extra skeevy way he was known for.

"What'll it be, Mark?"

"I'd say you."

"Still taken."

"What a shame."

"Still not on the menu we offer if I wasn't," Emma told him and waited, "What'll it be?"

She took his order and went inside the kitchen, "What'd they say?"

"They're on their way."

"Well how far out are they?"

"I didn't' think to ask!" Lily said.

"Isn't' that the first thing you SHOULD ask?"

"Whatever," Lily muttered, "They're on their way and he drives a big orange truck, it's sort of hard to miss. IF we leaves, we're just gonna tell them what direction he went and end this."

"Fine."

"Fine," Lily took a bite of a fry that was meant for Mark.

"LILY PAIGE!" Barry snapped.

"Hush, he's going to prison anyway"

"When did my diner become a sting operation with my two waitresses involved?"

"It's not your restaurant, we all work for the man." Lily took another bite of the fry.

"I am the senior authority!" HE took the plate way, "No more."

Lily scowled, "We gotta delay him."

"I thought you weren't wanting us involved."

"Well too late now," Lily whispered and threw her arms up.

"What did he do?" Barry asked.

Lily shrugged, "maybe there's a reward for all of us involved. Emma's getting paid for helping, why not us?"

"You two live together."

"So?" Lily went for the burger until Barry slapped her hand.

"no." "

"We gotta delay him."

"He's gonna know something if we bring out a burger with a bite out of it."

"I can't help it, I'm hungry. We can give him that excuse."

"No we can't, we-," Barry stopped when he looked out the window, "Girls."

They both looked behind them. The cars were pulling into the lot.

"Okay ladies, time to move."

He opened the restaurant fridge. Emma sighed, it was cold in there, but if he was dangerous then they needed to be safe.

Sometimes Barry was okay.

Emma and Lily waited for about ten minutes standing there in the freezing freezer before he pulled open the door. Emma came out, followed by Lily.

"Congratulations lades," the bail bondsman said as they both came out together, "You did good. You can call my office later today and we'll talk about payment."

"That was sort of fun," Emma looked up and tilted her head. She was really grateful Lily didn't point out all they did was call a number and hide, that'd be embarrassing, "Any job openings?"

The bondsmen smirked, "Perhaps we can work something out."


	5. Chapter 5

Emma had gotten a job with the men that came to the diner that day. THey'd taken a shine to her, they called her charming. Her boss and cook and girlfriend laughed for an hour straight when she told them.

They offered a better life. They offered to set her up with an apartment and the first month rent to help her make the transition more easier.

They said she could even get her her GED!

"These suits look like they cost our rent," Lily grumbled as Emma checked out how she looked in the suit she'd bought.

"I bought it at a thrift store," Emma turned around, "Look at my ass, it looks great!"

"Yeah, I bet they want a piece of it."

"Lily," Emma snapp ed.

"Well they aren't getting you for your experience."

"Stop."

"He wants in your pants."

"Maybe he sees potential in me. Maybe he wants to give me a chance."

"Please," Lily muttered.

Yeah, even Emma knew better than that, but she had this chance to prove herself.

"What do you even care anyway?" Emma asked.

"Because w'ere together, last I checked."

Emma stopped. They were using terms like 'together' now? When did that start to happen? They knew this was all in fun. They'd stated it a hundred times.

"Lily," Emma said with a terse voice that she always did when she felt she was on shaky ground, "When we first started this, you and I agreed on what this was. You told me. Constantly. I agreed. It was a fling. A….string of one night stands. Getting close hurts. It never ends well. It didn't end well with your family, it didn't end well with my string of potential families. It didn't end well with Neal and I couldn't even-."

Lily wouldn't look at her.

"I couldn't even get close to my baby. What sort of relationship could we possibly have together?"

"I think I should be the one to get to decide that."

"I"m deciding for both of us. I know what sort of girlfriend I am."

"You work hard and pay your own half of the rent," Lily looked up at her, a tear sliding down her face, "You hold me when I wake up, and your'e there when wheI go to bed. You're by my side when I work. I trust you more than I've trusted anyone. It's been like that. It's always been like that. You and me against the world, it was supposed to be like that, remember?"

"Until you lied. Until you stole."

"We were _children,"_ Lily whispered. I hurt you and I"m so sorry for that. But that girl isn't me anymore, how many times do I have to prove that to you? How many times do I have to make this up for you? What else do I have to do to prove how sorry I am?"

Emma sat there stunned, she stared at Lily. Did she really take this so seriously?

And Emma felt the tugging of something in her gut that she couldn't explain.

"What do you want?" Emma asked.

"I want to come with you."

"I'm a crap person."

"I could love you anyway. All I ask is that maybe one day you consider loving me too."

And Emma felt her stomach clench even more at the thought.

"I can't promise that."

"I know. But just think about it."

"Do you really want to go to Boston with me?"

Lily nodded.

"I can't say I'm perfect."

"I didn't date you because you were perfect."

Emma gave a wry smile, "Lets start packing then,"


	6. Chapter 6

The air quality wasn't as fresh as it had been out in the boonies, that was the first thing Emma and Lily noticed when they made their move to Boston. It was crowded and smelly and a lot more frantic than what Emma had grown accustomed to since she and Lily had met again.

There wasn't even any place to drive to and have sex in the car. They used to be able to do that all the time on nice nights.

But there were upsides too. The pay was better, the job was more important and since her boss thought she was a lesbian, he left her alone.

Emma didn't think herself a lesbian. She had no attraction for any woman besides Lily. Lily was just different and she cared about her more than she thought she'd care about anyone ever again. They had their squabbles but moving here with her had not been a mistake.

"How's this?" Lily asked one night as they shut themselves in for a romantic night. Since they'd been together, they'd become masters at fingering and eating out but they were trying new things. Several porn videos later, and they THOUGHT they'd mastered tribbing and scissoring but it seemed even the amateur videos were giving it way more credit than it deserved.

"It's….," Emma tried to feel something, but other than the slight pleasure of her girlfriend's legs wrapped around her hips, grinding her lady parts into her, she wasn't really feeling it, "No, it's just some slight pleasure but we get more out of foreplay."

"You were faking the other times we tried this."

"So were you," Emma argued. And Really, it was really sensual to have her girlfriend in her lap like this but she wasn't getting off on it, and that's what she needed.

"You wanna try?" Lily asked.

"Yeah," she gave Lily a kiss and let her slide off her lap. Maybe some simulation would help.

She bent over and started eating out Lily, just to get her aroused, when that worked, she moved herself into Lily's lap, legs settled on either side of her hips and tried moving her self on that spot she just exploited.

Lily let out one small moan and then sighed, "I had something and then I was losing it."

"Great," Emma muttered and let her head fall back in exasperation.

"Well, we tried."

"I wanted to try something different and it didn't work," Emma pouted, "Guess we're simple ladies."

"Guess so," Lily went to lay on her side of the bed, Emma went to lay on her side and pull her close.

"I've been thinking about when we were teenagers," Lily started.

Emma looked at her, "If you're going to apologize again….."

"I lied to you and hurt you so much."

"It's forgiven," Emma told her, "I forgave you and I hope you forgave me for abandoning you like I did."

"You had every right to after what I kept doing," Lily reached over and touched the necklace hanging from the bedpost.

Emma wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, "Why does this still bother you?"

"It'll always bother me," Lily admitted, "Do you think if we stayed together we'd have gotten together."

"I don't know, probably not," Emma admitted, "We only really got together in that moment of vulnerability when I was staying over at your apartment. Maybe there would've been other moments? I don't know, but I sort of feel like everything led up to that moment."

"I thought you didn't believe in fate."

"I don't, but I also don't know if we'd have gotten together as teens. Maybe we would have, but maybe we wouldn't have."

"There wasn't an attraction for you as a teenager?"

Emma thought long and hard, "Maybe. But I was more concerned with just surviving from day to day. And that second time we met, if things had been different…..we weren't the only ones in those houses."

"No, and I don't think either family would have understood."

Emma kissed the back of her neck, "I do admit there was a feeling of something there."

"I felt it too."

"You did?"

"Yeah"

Emma grinned and buried her face in his shoulder, "Good."

"Emma," Lily groaned and then squeaked when she felt Emma try to slip a hand down her pants, "Emma Swan!"

"What?" Emma said innocently.

"We spent half an hour humping each other to try and see if it worked for us. I'm tired. You have work tomorrow and I have to find a job."

"Tease."

"That's your favorite part of the foreplay," Lily yawned.


	7. Chapter 7

As the year passed, Emma thought she loved Lily. Not as a true love thing that she thought she loved with Neal when they were together…or thought she felt. But they stayed together, got on well, fought like normal couples and had fantastic sex. What wasn't to love about it?

Lily was safe. Emma had all her needs met, she didn't miss men, she didn't want other women. They were just them and Emma had never been with anyone that let her be herself and didn't screw her over afterwards.

And they still had their own lives; Emma had her work, Lily was working at a fancy restaurant and working her way up to assistant manager. They spent a lot of time apart as well, that's probably part of why they worked so well.

They weren't trapped in a small car while one was thinking about how to set up the other one for jail.

Maybe Emma wasn't still over it, even after nearly eleven years.

Emma was focusing on a file she was reading when she heard her girlfriend come in. She called out a greeting and sighed when she felt the bottom of the bed move as if someone was slipping under the covers, "You just worked a double. I should be doing that to you."

"You will," Lily said from under the covers. Emma bit her lip when she felt Lily kiss her inner thigh.

Emma sighed, "I have work tomorrow."

"You have a birthday tomorrow," she felt Lily tug on her panties. She lifted her hips up so Lily could get them off, "And you have to work."

"This guy's a real bastard, he abandoned his family and left them footing his bills."

The comforter moved back, Emma saw Lily's face appear right at her belly, "Brings back some memories?"

"Something like that," Emma looked away and put the file down.

She felt Lily pull herself up to where she was hovering over her. It took a moment for her to look back up to Lily and take her in. She was absolutely beautiful, Emma looked staring in her big brown eyes but she still wasn't really ready to go into her feelings about it. Lily knew what happened and she knew Emma wasn't over it. They just didn't talk about the scars that Emma still carried. Just like she didn't talk about Lily's. She knew some of what Lily had gone through in the past but not everything.

"Here," Lily went to cuddle beside her.

"What are you doing?!" Emma asked.

"Being a supportive girlfriend."

Emma frowned, "I don't like this."

"Oh hush, you do this every time I want to cuddle and be nice. It doesn't work then, it won't work now. I know you love it. I figured it out when we were together for five years."

"Whatever, I hate it."

Lily smirked, "Happy last day of your 27th birthday, Emma."


	8. Chapter 8

He had put up a fight when Emma confronted him at the restaurant. He threw up the table, ruined her dress and made her have to cross traffic in heels.

And on her birthday.

Adulterous pig.

Emma eventually stumbled home, sometime after eight. She had a bag of two cupcakes in her hand, she kicked off her heels and groaned in relief as the bones and muscles realigned to a more manageable form.

Whoever said beauty required pain was an idiot.

Lily was already waiting for her when she came in. She lightly kissed her on the cheek, "How was it?"

Emma pulled back the bag to show her the ruined dress, "Asshole tried to run."

"I'm sorry, we can soak it in…cold water or warm water or…whatever it is that works, what is it that works?"

"I think club soda."

"Whatever, let me help you out of that."

Emma snickered and pulled away, "Come on, let's have a quick celebration first."

She put out the cupcakes and carefully put the candles through the frosting. Lily lit the candles and watched quietly as Emma folded her arms, put them on the table and rested her head on them, "Another banner year."

How did she feel so alone sometimes? She was happy, she had a girlfriend, she had a good job, a good life, what more did she need?

What did she feel so sad?

Emma closed her eyes and wished that that emptiness that haunted her might still be filled, and she blew out the candle.

"What'd you wish for?" Lily asked.

Emma wasn't superstitious, she was about to answer her when she heard the knock at her door and looked over to her girlfriend.

Lily shrugged, "I don't know who that could be."

Not like they had a lot of friends.

Emma opened the door and looked down to see a kid staring at her. Emma glanced down either hallway to try to see if this kid might have wandered off from his parents but she didn't see anyone, "Uh? Can I help you?"

"Are you Emma Swan?"

"yeah…," Emma started, "Who are you?"

"My name's Henry," he gave an excited bounce, "I'm your son."


End file.
